Genre
New Horror Film
Croatian Film Encyclopaedia lists
horror movies as one of the three genres characterized
by the presence of fantasy or fantastic elements (the other
two are film fairytale and science-fiction film). However,
this definition refers only to the classical horror films,
that is to say, those made before 1960. That year was the
turning point for horror films for that year Alfred Hitchcock
shot Psycho, film in which horror was placed in
reality.
After Psycho horror films developed in two basic directions: fantastic and realistic.
A smaller number of films were made in the supernatural tradition,
dealing with imaginary creatures (vampires, mummies and other
monsters) and these could conditionally be called classical since
their important feature remained the fantastic quality. In
the films of the new direction dominated real, human
monsters (mostly torturers and murderers), while the action
took place in the realistic setting.
Seven very violent movies made a significant impact on the
film production of the second half of the 20th century and
influenced the evolution of the genre and film in general.
Those were: Psycho (1960), Night of the Living Dead (1968), Last
House on the Left (1972), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Halloween (1978), Friday
13 (1980) and Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986). Psycho was
a masterfully directed film, a flawless work of the old master
Alfred Hitchcock, according to many the best director of all
times. Night of the Living Dead, Last House on the Left,
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Henry, Portrait of
a Serial Killer were the works of more or less talented
debutants George A. Romero, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and John
McNaughton. Dilettante Sean Cuningham made Friday 13,
while Halloween was the third film of the skillful craftsman
John Carpenter.
The author of the text concludes that, although
different in quality and made by more or less talented
directors, with various degrees of professional knowledge,
those seven works comprised the basic line of development
of the genre, to which other films came as an extension.
Their courage and singularity won them a higher place,
above other, often much more famous, horror films.
Kristijan Milić |
